Reviews

THE MOSLEY BROTHERS Patuxent Music CD-336 The Mosley Brothers from central Maryland have won numerous regional band contests such as the Deer Creek Fiddler’s Convention and are becoming more well-known beyond the Maryland/southern Pennsylvania area. The band includes Jacob Mosley (mandolin), Joey Mosley (guitar), Johnny Calamari (bass), and Dean Phillips (banjo), with Michael Cleveland providing…

JESSE McREYNOLDS & FRIENDS PLAY THE BULL MOUNTAIN MOONSHINERS’ WAY Pinecastle Records PPRC1232 Talk about a legend. At age 90, Jesse McReynolds is celebrating his 55th year as a Grand Ole Opry member and 70-plus years as a professional musician. Yet the real star and centerpiece of Jesse’s first album in nine years is not the man…

RESCUE JUNCTION LIONS AT HEART No Label No Number Every so often, those who love bluegrass get concerned about the future of the music. Some of those fears have been set aside as newcomers from more recent generations. They aren’t always “traditionalists”—which sometimes seems counterintuitive since bluegrass itself was birthed as a new sound with touches of…

LaTRESA & THE SIGNAL THE BLOOD AND THE RIVER Boon Dog Records No Number The third album from Nashville-based singer songwriter LaTresa Smith is a collection of bluegrass gospel music. Eleven of twelve cuts are originals from LaTresa, and the twelfth was co-written with band member Kyle Wood. In addition to Wood on mandolin (a…

THE GINA FURTADO PROJECT I HOPE YOU HAVE A GOOD LIFE Mountain Home MH18202    For those of you who grew up excited about buying a new album, then taking it home to position yourself comfortably between two speakers and focus intently on the first listen, this album is for you. If you love reading every…

JOHN BOWMAN THE HOLE Mountain Home MH18622 The Hole is a six-song EP of country and bluegrass gospel music. Bowman has chosen heartfelt songs from excellent writers, including Merle Haggard’s “Silverthorn Mountain.” John reports, “This EP was created with the intention of glorifying God. Each track, except for “Silverthorn Mountain”—a song about life—has a focused and…